Brined Duck Breast Food

SPICE RUBBED GRILLED DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• Combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, five spice powder, dry mustard and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck so it has a 1/4-inch diamond pattern. Rub the spice mixture all over the duck.
• Heat a grill to medium (make sure it's not too hot since the key is to cook duck slowly to render the fat) and wipe down the grates with an oiled towel. Place the duck skin-side down on the grate and cook until the skin is seared and the fat is rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. (If there are occasional flare-ups from the fat, move the duck around on the grill to a new spot away from the flame each time.) Flip the duck over and place on a cooler part of the grill. Cook for an additional 5 minutes for medium-rare. Let rest for 5 to 7 minutes before cutting against the grain into thick slices.

MIGHTY DUCK

Steps:

• Combine all brine ingredients in a plastic container with a lid. Place the lid on the container and shake to dissolve the salt.
• Remove the pop-up thermometer, liver, gizzards, and heart. Cut off the wings.
• Using kitchen shears, locate the spine at the base of the neck. Cut up the line of the backbone towards the neck cavity. Turn the duck and cut straight towards the rear cavity. Remove the backbone.
• Turn the duck over and cut straight down the middle of the breast bone, leaving 2 equal duck halves. To separate the legs from the breast, flip your halves over so the flesh side is facing up at you. Using a knife, make a crescent shape cut between the leg and the breast. Lay your knife flat against the skin and make 3 marks in one direction and then in the other, making an X. Make sure that you are cutting through the skin and not the meat.
• Line the inside of a plastic lexan or a pot with a zip-top bag. Place the duck quarters inside the bag, and pour the brine over the duck. Seal the bag, ensuring that all air is removed from the bag. Brine the duck for 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Bring 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot. Place a colander into the pot and line the sides of the colander with the duck. Do not stack the duck quarters on each other. Cover and turn the heat to medium low. Steam the duck for 45 minutes. Set oven to 475 degrees F. Place a large cast iron skillet into the oven.
• Remove duck pieces from steamer and place legs, skin side down, into the hot skillet. Place the skillet into the hot oven immediately and cook the leg quarters for 10 minutes. Add the breasts, skin side down, and cook for 7 more minutes or until the duck takes on a deep mahogany color and the skin is very crisp.
• Remove the duck from the skillet and rest under foil. Add the chard and the shallots to the skillet. Toss the chard in the fat until it barely wilts. Season with the sherry or balsamic vinegar.
• Serve the duck with the chard.

TEA-BRINED MAHOGANY DUCK

Steps:

• To make the brine, combine the water, tea leaves, ginger, and star anise in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes. In a large nonreactive container, combine the steeped tea, soy sauce, and honey and stir until the honey is dissolved. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Add the bird(s) to the brine; refrigerate ducks for 4 hours, chicken for 6 hours. Keep the bird(s) submerged by placing a plate on top to weight down and at a temperature of not more than 40°F. Remove from the brine 1 hour before cooking. Rinse and pat dry.
• Prepare a medium-hot fire (400°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker.
• To make the basting sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until the honey is dissolved.
• To roast in a box roaster, place the bird(s) breast side down on a wire roasting rack in a roasting pan or clay baker and baste with the basting sauce. Light the charwood once the bird(s) is in place. Roast, covered, with indirect heat for 1 hour. Being careful not to pierce the skin, turn over, baste, and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 175° to 180°F.
• To roast in a wood-fired oven or ceramic cooker such as a Big Green Egg, place the bird(s) breast side down in a roasting pan and baste with the basting sauce. Roast for 1 hour. Being careful not to pierce the skin, turn over, baste, and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 175° to 180°F.
• Let sit for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

PAN ROASTED DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• With a sharp knife score the fat of the duck breasts in a criss-cross pattern. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Warm a heavy bottomed ovenproof skillet over medium heat.
• Place the duck breasts, fat side down, in the skillet to render off the fat, about 6 minutes. Reserve rendered duck fat. Turn the duck breasts over and sear for 1 minute. Turn the fat side down again and place the skillet into the oven to roast for 7 to 9 minutes, until breasts are medium rare. Let the duck breasts rest for 5 minutes then thinly slice.
• Grate the potatoes and squeeze out excess liquid using your hands. Toss the potatoes with the melted butter, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of duck fat in a 6-inch cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Press some of the potato mixture into the hot pan to make a 1/4-inch thick cake. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the rosti is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the rosti in the pan and add more duck fat. Continue cooking until golden and crisp. Place the finished rosti onto an unlined baking sheet and continue cooking the rest of the potato mixture. Reheat rosti in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes.
• Combine the brown sugar, raspberry vinegar, red wine vinegar, and white wine vinegar in a medium pot. Place over medium-low heat and stir to dissolve the brown sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the blueberries, onion, green peppercorns, lemon juice, and ginger. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
• The chutney will keep for several weeks stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

DUCK BREAST MARINATED IN BUTTERMILK & SAGE ON BROWN RICE STU

Steps:

• The Marinade.
• Wash and dry duck breasts, score fat side of breasts, diagonally into diamonds, barely through to the meat.
• Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Place in a ziplock plastic bag, add buttermilk, sage and balsamic vinegar.
• Squeeze air out of bag and seal.
• Massage bag to distribute marinade around duck breasts.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• The Stuffing:.
• The stuffing can be made ahead and reheated when needed.
• I reheated it in the microwave.
• Remove duck breasts from marinade and set aside, reserving 1/4 cup marinade, discard the rest.
• Heat olive oil in large nonstick frypan.
• Add shallots, red pepper and garlic, sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add brown basmati rice and salt; stir to coat, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add wine and deglaze pan, add chicken stock and reserved marinade.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 45 minutes, no peeking or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed; set aside.
• The Breasts:.
• Heat butter and olive oil in a large nonstick frypan.
• Dry excess marinade off breasts.
• Place marinated duck breasts skin/fat side down; on medium high heat, brown until skin/fat is well browned, about 20 minutes, turn and cook to rare or medium rare, about 10 minutes.
• Remove to a platter and keep warm.
• Drain fat from frypan, add the wine and deglaze the pan, slowly add the buttermilk, while stirring, add the balsamic vinegar.
• Add the sour cherries, bring to boil, on medium high heat simmer until reduced and thickened by about half, about 15 minutes.
• To Plate & Garnish:.
• Reheat stuffing if necessary.
• Place 1/2 cup stuffing in the centre of each of two plates.
• Slice duck breasts into about 4 slices and place attractively against stuffing, skin side up, on each plate.
• Drizzle the sour cherry reduction over and around the stuffing and duck breasts, including some of the cherries.
• Sprinkle half of the toasted almonds over all on each plate and garnish each plate with half the sage leaf strips.
• Serve at once.
• (To reconstitute dried cherries if using, place in 2 cups water and bring to boil, simmer until cherries plump up, drain and use as fresh).